Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’: What you need to know about the surprise album

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday gift Friday with the surprise drop of a new album.

The Grammy winner’s 12-track “GNX” is his first release since 2022’s “Mr. Moral & The Big Steppers” and his sixth studio album overall. It also comes just months after his rap battle with Drake.

Lamar first teased the album with a cover art and video snippet of “GNX,” which features the multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff as co-producer on every track except “Peekaboo”. Other notable producers include Sounwave and DJ Mustardwho both contributed production to the hit “Not Like Us,” the ubiquitous diss track stemming from the Drake feud.

Lamar’s former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA appears on a few songs, including “Gloria” and “Luther,” which also features sampled vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn throughout “If This World Were Mine.”

On the opening track “Wacced Out Murals”, Lamar raps about cruising in his Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental) car listening to Anita Baker. He brings up Snoop Dogg for posting Drake’s AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss track on social media, and Nas congratulates Lamar for being chosen to headline February’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.